Surrey County Council and Ringway Surrey Win Silver Medal at RHS Hampton Court Palace

Surrey County Council, in collaboration with Ringway Surrey, proudly secured a Silver medal and highly commended Environmental Innovation award at the prestigious RHS Palace Garden Festival, for their innovative and environmentally conscious garden design. This achievement emphasises our dedication to horticultural excellence, commitment to creating healthier and more sustainable urban spaces.

 

The honour was presented on Monday 30th June. Judges praised the garden for its ‘astonishingly clever’ use of small public spaces. They said when you sit in the garden you feel cocooned in the street, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The garden was also praised by star studded visitors including (as photographed below) Vanessa Feltz, Linford Christie OBE, and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh .

 

 

Lewis Bridgman, Service Director for Ringway Surrey says,
“Ringway is incredibly proud to have received this recognition at the RHS Garden Show, made possible through our collaborative partnership with Surrey County Council. Transforming parking bays into pockets of green not only showcases the power of thoughtful design but also reminds us that even the smallest spaces can make a big difference. It’s been a joy to involve local NESCOT students in the creation of this garden, growing skills, growing communities, and growing a healthier future together.”  

 

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, says “The show garden demonstrates how we can provide a better balance between roads and pedestrians in our town centres, and provide attractive and functional areas which will encourage people to visit, stay longer and support our vital local economies.
“But they also show how local government, volunteers and the private sector can work together to design and create community spaces, offering vital training to our young people along the way.”

 

The Garden Concept
At the heart of the festival, the garden is set on a street in Surrey, where on-road parking is available. It showcases three parking spaces providing a sanctuary and tranquil resting point for travellers. 
 

• The Walton parklet focuses on air quality, with plants and trees that filter pollutants while providing shade and shelter. 

• The Cranleigh rain garden demonstrates sustainable drainage, using climate-resilient plants to manage stormwater and reduce flooding risks.     

• The Guildford parklet celebrates biodiversity. It’s crafted from reclaimed materials and features pollinator-friendly plants, bird baths and play elements to bring people and wildlife together. 

The parklets and rain garden were funded through existing placemaking schemes in the communities where the gardens will be relocated after the festival. Additional support to create the garden came from volunteers, including local young people and community groups, and private sponsorship.

Plants include:
Rosemary- ‘A bushy shrub that retains its foliage all year round, ideal for screening polluted air. With its aromatic dark green leaves and pale violet-blue, white, or pink flowers in spring and summer, it’s a fantastic species that adds a sensory touch to the garden.’
Willow-leaved Loosestrife- ‘produces elegant starry white flowers arranged in racemes in early summer, followed by brown seedheads for winter interest. It’s a versatile species that tolerates seasonally wet and dry soils, ideal to feature in urban rain gardens.’
Black Lace – ‘A bushy shrub with distinctive foliage colour. It produces flat sprays of fragrant cream flowers attractive to pollinators. After flowering, it bears small black berries the birds love, making it an excellent plant to support local wildlife.’

Garden Legacy
The garden's influence will extend far beyond the confines of the RHS Palace Garden Festival. Post-Show, it will be relocated to two strategic locations: Walton and Guildford. The rain garden and various highway materials employed in the design will be redistributed across different schemes in Surrey, thereby continuing to benefit the community. The wooden seating will be returned to the Norbury Saw mill for recycling, embodying the principle of sustainability.

Moving beyond the traditional highways space and entering the RHS flower show is a pioneering move. It provides an amazing opportunity to engage with the public and demonstrate the crucial role our sector has in creating healthy spaces for positive community well-being that is resilient to changing climates.